Sunday, August 27, 2006

No oven soon... can we do without?

We kept the ball goin' again this week with 11 new recipes. This week's highlights for us were the Braised Carrots, Toasted Coconut Vanilla Marshmallows and we were both surprised with how much we liked the Tempeh Coconut Curry. The recipe sections to the left have been updated - you may need to hit refresh to see the additions.

In anticipation of the upcoming kitchen renovation (they are coming out to get the measurements sometime this week!) I have been wondering what we are going to do without the use of a stove and other things we will loose out on until the remodel is done. So, for today's treat, I wanted to make something that did not require an oven and could be played with to change the flavors. Peanut Butter Graham Squares with Dark Chocolate Drizzle are incredibly easy to make and do not require much to put together. I did use a food processor to make graham cracker crumbs and a stand mixer to beat the filling, but you could just as easily crush the crackers with a rolling pin and use a wooden spoon to mix it up. The bottom is just whole graham crackers in a single layer and these remain very crisp even through refrigeration. Packed with peanut butter flavor, the thick layer of filling is made from butter, creamy peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar and a splash of vanilla.

I wanted a contrasting top layer, so instead of completely covering it with chocolate, I opted for a drizzle instead. If you wanted a more in-depth chocolate flavor, you could just melt more chocolate and pour it over instead of the drizzle. These bars are very firm if left in the refrigerator, but if you set them out for 15-20 minutes, the crust remains crunchy but the filling turns soften and very creamy. Chocolate graham crackers, crunchy peanut butter or different kinds of melted chocolate are just a couple of suggestions to change around the flavors and keep it relatively simple!

11 comments:

  1. Yummie - they look great! I made Oatmeal Cookies and Peanut Butter Cookies today and I am ready for something salty and hearty now ;-)

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  2. I've lived without a stove...the best thing to do is get an electric skillet, electric kettle and a rice cooker. There isnt much you cant do in those three. Of course a toaster oven is good too...lol.

    Good luck with the remodel!

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  3. These look amazing...do you think you could ship them up to Canada...no, wait...I have a feeling my postie would enjoy them too much :)

    j

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  4. What a great opportunity to creatively use all the OTHER applicances you have around.

    hotpot, crockpot, waffle iron, toaster, george forman grill, outdoor grill, bread machine, blender, ice cream machine...

    How long are you stove-less?

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  5. Drizzle is so the way to go...full coverage for something like that would be over the top

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  6. one more I put on my tabs ... I should count how many of your recipes I tried ... :)

    à bientôt .

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  7. Oh, dear God. Joe, you are really bad for my will power. Peanut butter is the one substance over which I have no control. I'm like a crack addict. If there's a jar of peanut butter in the house I *will* sit and eat it with a spoon. And now you tempt me with these? I'm trying to fit into a wedding dress here! Show some compassion!

    Kristin

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  8. Hi Joe! You have a great (and well organized) blog. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I can definitely get some great ideas from your blog (that could be easily veganized).

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  9. Joe, These are another winner in my book. You just can't go wrong with a simple recipe made with the my favorite things; Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Graham Crakers.

    I am definately going to try this one. And by the way, I agree with ck1 west, you are bad for my will power, too!

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  10. You have our sympathies, Joe. Just today we had our oven repaired. I actually missed the microwave more than the oven, as it's still so hot that I don't want to bake anything. Anyway, I'm sure you'll find lots of great things to make sans the oven. Can't wait to see pictures of your kitchen renovation in progress. I will vicariously enjoy all your new appliances.

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  11. Dani - I love PB Cookies!

    Rachael - Thanks!

    Jasmine - I could certainly try! Although, I have a feeling they wouldn't make it to the post office!

    Joanna - We won't know until we get closer to the start, but hopefully not too long!

    Wheresmymind - Yeah, I agree.

    Sab - hee hee!

    CK1 - I have at least a tablespoon or two a day! I make a jar a fresh peanut butter probably every other week or so.

    Vivacious Vegan - Thanks! We do even have some vegan recipes up on the site!

    Annie - Guilty as charged!

    Harry - Hopefully things will go well and it won't take too long!

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